3 January 2012
Classy, beautiful, historic, and centrally located. Spent New Years in Victoria
and stayed at the Empress. Our room was small but very pretty and beds
comfortable. Loved the warm swimming pool! Entire hotel was decorated for
Christmas with the tree festival. Rates are very reasonable in the winter. The
Empress is just a short walk from the Black Ball ferry.
Hotel Review of the Fairmont Empress Hotel Victoria
2 January 2012
A short review since our experience was extremely positive and echoes many of
the others.
We stayed for 2 nights (12/29 & 12/30) and had a GREAT time. My one big surprise
was the level of upgrades that we got just for joining the Fairmont President's
Club. Our original purpose in joining was simply to avoid the daily WiFi charge.
The "free" membership (if you don't mind additional spam) got us:
a) A no-charge upgrade to an absolutely beautiful room (#480)
b) Complimentary hot breakfast (Gold lounge breakfast buffet)
c) Complimentary hors d'oeuvre
d) Complimentary soda/coffee throughout the day
e) etc., etc., etc.
f) Oh.... and complementary WiFi
The decor was pleasing, the staff was great, the atmosphere of this marvellous
building was fantastic.
I would consider the hotel restaurants (Empress & Bengal) to be a little less
pleasing --- A fairly high price gets you a lot of pomp but I would consider the
food only "good" for this price point. But the atmosphere was worth every penny.
So much better than our stay at the Seattle Westin (which is another review)....
Room Tip: a) Room 480 was wonderful. Top floor, great view to the south (several
windows facing towards the south - Parliment building and BC Museum), good view
of the harbour out one window facing west. b) See previous discussion about
President's Club / Gold --- really a great way to get more value for money.
Hotel Review of the Fairmont Empress Hotel Victoria
2 January 2012
We decided at the last minute to spend a couple days in Victoria between
Christmas and New Year's. The Fairmont Empress proved to be the most pleasant
hotel experience we have had in a long time. The hotel is beautiful and the
service excellent. I would certainly recommend it to anyone wanting a perfect
way to appreciate Victoria. Dinner in the Empress Room and Tea the next day made
the stay so very enjoyable and memorable. The costs were higher than we usually
go for but the luxurious ambiance was worth the price- at least to us. Fairmont
Gold really was golden!
Hotel Review of the Fairmont Empress Hotel Victoria
2 December 2011
For my second trip to Victoria I wanted to stay at the beautiful Empress hotel
for our four night stay. My girlfriend and I flew in to Victoria by float plane
and were immediately struck by its grandeur overlooking the harbour as we taxied
to the dock (Float plane really is the best way to get to Victoria, and the
terminal is a very short walk from the Empress!). We were greeted by the
friendly doorman and the front desk clerk who made our check in quick and
painless.
When we first entered our room (a basic Fairmont room) I was a little bit
disappointed. I found it cramped, the view lacking, and the bathroom not very
well appointed. The toilet was so close to the tub that you had to sit on it at
an angle! (and I'm not a big guy at all). The night before we arrived in
Victoria we stayed at the Hilton Vancouver Airport, paid less for our room and
got a huge, comfortable king suite. I found the heating in the room to be
inconsistent, it was always hot and cold all night, never a constant
temperature. I do understand that the Empress is a heritage property and that
some quirks are to be expected, but it was quite a contrast with our previous
night's stay.
Despite the initial disappointment, the Empress really grew on me. The service
there is second to none and the staff at the Empress treated us like gold. What
really sets the Empress apart from places like the aforementioned Hilton is
character. The Hilton is a great hotel, but it is totally interchangeable with
any of the hundreds of good quality business hotels around the world. There is
only one Empress. The beautiful architecture, the interior details (old brass
fixtures, hand carved wood, and antique furniture everywhere), and the history
of the place make the Empress truly unique. It is exciting to know that I stayed
in a building that has housed royalty, Hollywood stars, and heads of state. The
little details are interesting too. If you had honey on your toast at breakfast
it was made by bees kept on the Empress grounds. If you ate at one of the
restaurants some of the herbs used in your meal were grown on site in one of the
gardens. They even make their own tea infused vodka (with their own blend of
tea) for the Empress 1908 cocktail served in the Bengal Lounge (highly
recommended!).
Despite some shortcomings with the room, I would definitely recommend the
Empress to anyone who wants a unique experience in Victoria!
|
